Lisette Burch, of Brookfield, center, who turned 16 in September, waits with her father, Allen Burch and friend Meghan Kendall, 16, to take her driving test at the Dept. of Motor Vehicles in Danbury, Conn., Thursday, April 18, 2013. less

Lisette Burch, of Brookfield, center, who turned 16 in September, waits with her father, Allen Burch and friend Meghan Kendall, 16, to take her driving test at the Dept. of Motor Vehicles in Danbury, Conn., ... more

Christine Crudo, left, holds her cell phone to son Luca's ear, so he can tell his father that he passed the test to get his learner's permit to drive. Luca Crudo, who turned 16 on Feb. 25, took the test at the Dept. of Motor Vehicles in Danbury, Conn. Thursday, April 18, 2013. less

Christine Crudo, left, holds her cell phone to son Luca's ear, so he can tell his father that he passed the test to get his learner's permit to drive. Luca Crudo, who turned 16 on Feb. 25, took the test at the ... more

Stephen Bartek, left, of Bethel, a licensing agent at the state Dept. of Motor Vehicles in Danbury, Conn., and Kevin Conte, 16, of Sandy Hook, return from Kevin's road test Thursday, April 18, 2013. Kevin passed the test and received his license. less

Stephen Bartek, left, of Bethel, a licensing agent at the state Dept. of Motor Vehicles in Danbury, Conn., and Kevin Conte, 16, of Sandy Hook, return from Kevin's road test Thursday, April 18, 2013. Kevin ... more

Paul McAllister, left, a licensing agent with the state Department of Motor Vehicles in Danbury, Conn., has paper work for Lisette Burch, 16, of Brookfield, to sign. Lisette is with her father, Allen Burch, center. less

Paul McAllister, left, a licensing agent with the state Department of Motor Vehicles in Danbury, Conn., has paper work for Lisette Burch, 16, of Brookfield, to sign. Lisette is with her father, Allen Burch, ... more

Ben Morales, right, of Norwalk, waits at the state Dept. of Motor Vehicles office in Danbury, Conn. Thursday, April 18, 2013, to take his driver's test. Ben, who turned 17 in November, says his mother advised him to take his time and gain experience driving with a permit before getting his license. less

Ben Morales, right, of Norwalk, waits at the state Dept. of Motor Vehicles office in Danbury, Conn. Thursday, April 18, 2013, to take his driver's test. Ben, who turned 17 in November, says his mother advised ... more

DANBURY -- Today's teenagers are not getting their driver's licenses as early as they once did, and when they do, they're not driving as much, studies indicate.

No one reason is being attributed to the drop in numbers, but rules for young drivers, including a ban on driving with teenage passengers without adults in the car, and the costs of gasoline and insurance may be contributing factors.

According to a University of Michigan study, the number of 16-year-olds who received driver's licenses from 1983-2003 dropped nationwide by 20 percent. In Connecticut, the number dropped from 19,797 in 2008 to 16,421 in 2012, a difference of 3,376, according to the state's Department of Motor Vehicles.

"I got my license at 17 because my parents pushed me, but I've only driven an hour or so since," he said. "I don't feel any reason to. I know some people feel it gives them freedom, but I don't, and my parents give me rides."

Now 18, Quader said he plans to practice driving over the summer, but won't bring a car to college if he starts in the fall.

Some of her friends have postponed driving, she said, because of the laws affecting teenagers.

For example, for the first six months after obtaining a drivers license, a 16- or 17-year-old is allowed to drive only with parents who have licenses, a driving instructor or another qualified person providing instruction. For the second six months, the teen may drive with the above people or immediate family only.

Until a young driver's 18th birthday, teen may not drive from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., except for school or other exempted reasons, including medical necessity.

"I thought it was important to start driving with the restrictions, because I got to drive a year without the distractions,'' Steichen said. "By the time I could drive my friends, I was comfortable on the road."

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety credits the graduated-license programs with reducing the number of teen drivers. Since 1996, the number of teen drivers in most states has declined. Teenagers must practice driving before they solo, institute spokeswoman Kristin Nevels said Thursday.

While her group's research does not support reports that social media reduces interest in driving, other studies do.

Michael Sivak and Brandon Schoette, from the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute, reported that in several countries, including the United States, the percentage of young people with drivers' licenses has been decreasing. They found that 87 percent of 19-year-olds in 1983 had their licenses, but by 2008, it was closer to 75 percent, while the number of 16-year-olds with licenses dropped from 46 percent to 31 percent in that time.

The researchers' 2012 update on the United States, based on data from 2010, found the trend continuing. In their abstract, Sivak and Schoette noted "the observed decrease in driver licensing is consistent with the continued increase in Internet usage. ... Consequently, we postulated that virtual contact (through electronic means) reduces the need for actual contact."

Connecticut numbers reinforce the national data, according to state DMV spokesman William Seymour. From 2007-08, 39.2 percent of Connecticut 16-year-olds obtained driver's licenses, but by 2010 to 2011, that number was down to 29.3 percent. From 2007-08, 57 percent of 17-year-olds had their licenses, but by 2011 to 2012, that was down to 47.8 percent.

Seymour said DMV officials believe families' shortage of discretionary income and tougher laws have contributed to the decline.

But that's not all, he said.

Having a license, "is also losing its role as a rite of passage," Seymour said. "Teens are using other measures to gauge that stage of life. And in the age of helicopter parents, teens are used to being taken care of and they can be chauffeured. And more colleges are restricting cars on campus the first two years, so this plays a part in the delay of the license."

Barry Thayer, owner of Thayer Driving School in Danbury, said he has not seen much of a dip in the number of teenage driving students over the 28 years he has been in business.

He said new requirements for learning permits might change things. Before, he said, students might wait until 18 to apply for a license to avoid the written permit test, but now even adults need a permit before applying for a license, so that's not a reason to wait.

On the other hand, Thayer said, the new law makes driver education more expensive, because students must spend more time behind the wheel before applying for the license. Students are so busy in high school, he said, that they're having trouble finding time to take the driver-education program.

A 2012 report, "Transportation and the New Generation: Why Young People are Driving Less and What it Means for Transportation Policy," by the nonprofit U.S. PIRG Education Fund, credits higher gas prices, licensing laws, alternative transportation, and "changes in Generation Y's values and preferences" for reducing the young people's interest in driving.

A survey by Zipcar found that 65 percent of 18- to-34-year-olds would rather go without a car before a phone or computer.